Local

James Roberts, a former Central Kentucky News-Journal reporter, died at his home Sunday after a one-year battle with cancer. He was 36. Roberts came to work at the News-Journal in 2000. He also covered news in Casey, Marion and Washington counties for The Casey County News, The Springfield Sun and The Lebanon Enterprise, all of which are owned by the News-Journal's parent company, Landmark Community Newspapers.

Three distinguished media members from Malaysia visited the Springfield Sun last Tuesday to learn about small town journalism. The trio was participating in a State Department program, in which foreign professionals visit the U.S. for three weeks to learn about people and practices here.

The entire month of June and the first week in July were particularly wet in Washington County and the excess rainfall was not without consequences. Minor road and bridge damage resulted from flooding in early July, but the rain was much more costly for farmers, who lost crops and valuable work time due to the rain.

Fredericktown residents hopefully will not have to drink orange, rust-flavored water for much longer. The City of Bardstown water utility provides water to the Burg and plans to replace aging metal water pipes with PVC pipes this summer. But the utility needs permission from the Washington County government to excavate across roads in three places. The Washington County Fiscal Court considered the issue during its meeting Monday morning.

The Alltech animal health and nutrition company has given Springfield native Zach Purdom positions of increasing responsibility. Management apparently likes his work – they just put him in charge of an entire continent and ocean. Purdom will be taking over as Alltech Asia-Pacific operations manager this month, with an office in Beijing.

Chuck Abell is the son of Kathleen Abell and the late Dickie Abell. He grew up in Springfield and graduated from Washington County High School. Abell attended Eastern Kentucky University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in middle school education. On July 1, he assumes the mantle of Assistant Superintendent of Spencer County Schools.

Sometimes, you hear people say, ‘they don’t make ‘em like they used to.’ Not so for Clara Mae Blandford’s quilts. They’re still made the old fashioned way – by hand with needle and thread. The Springfield woman’s home is a virtual quilt museum, containing some of the finest examples to be found anywhere.

Starting this school year, Washington County students must stay in school until the age of 18. The Washington County Board of Education adopted the new policy during a special meeting on June 25. The Board joins 53 other school districts that made the change in response to a state initiative.

Austin B. McBride, 16, of Springfield, died from an accidental gunshot wound on Saturday afternoon at Kosairs Childrens Hospital in Louisville.

According to a police report provided by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, McBride and his stepfather, Mark Riley, were preparing to travel to a shooting competition on Saturday morning. Just before 7 a.m., McBride accidentally shot himself in the abdomen with a .22 caliber semiautomatic target pistol, as he stood outside the rear passenger door of an SUV. A cleaning rod was found lying on the ground nearby.